Vancouver saw a decrease in violent crime in 2012, which is opposite the statewide and national trend, according to data released Monday by the FBI.
Violent crime, which includes murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault, fell in Vancouver by 8 percent between 2011 and 2012. Washington and national data show a slight increase in the crimes, with Washington cities seeing an increase of 0.1 percent and an increase of 0.7 percent nationally.
Each type of violent crime committed in Vancouver decreased between the two years — murders and non-negligent manslaughters dropped from nine in 2011 to five in 2012 — except for aggravated assaults, which saw a slight increase from 337 recorded in 2011 to 343 in 2012.
While person-to-person crimes decreased, property crime in Vancouver climbed slightly, with data showing a 0.5 percent increase.
This follows the statewide trend of an increase in property crime, but at a lesser rate. The statewide average for the increase in crimes including burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson was 2.2 percent.
Washington’s numbers don’t follow the national trend in these kinds of crimes, however, with the FBI reporting property crime falling for the 10th year in a row. From 2011 to 2012, property crime decreased by 0.9 percent.
The FBI tracks released crime statistics for cities with populations greater than 100,000.
Portland saw a slight increase in both violent and property crime, with a 1 percent increase in both categories.
The number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters in Portland stayed the same, with 2011 and 2012 both recording 20. Robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and motor vehicle thefts increased while the number of rapes and thefts decreased.
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